Activity+6

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In the online environment, many challenges arise through the various activities that are integrated into the course. Much like a traditional classroom, all challenges must be identified at the onset of discovery and a resolve must be found. Of the many difficulties in an e-course, I have identified three principal challenges, with regards to the utilization of collaborative activities, which give learners and instructors extreme distress; participation, communication, and time management.

The primary concern with incorporating collaborative activities in the e-classroom is the quantity of effective participants. Effective participants, in an online course, can be defined as learners whom strive to promote the progression of a body of knowledge through quality contributions. It is ideal, yet unrealistic, for all learners to actively participate and contribute in collaborative activities. It has been noted that instructors cannot simply let the students loose and expect all learners to contribute effectively (Palloff & Pratt, 2005, p. 33). Jarosewich, Lenhart, Krosnick, Vargo, Vance, Saltzman, and Roskos (2010) confirm this notion by stating “simply requesting online discussion does not guarantee high-quality discussion posts and interactions” (p. 118).

Instructors must be detailed oriented and analytical when developing collaborative activities. As instructors begin to incorporate such activities into the e-classroom they must first develop an understanding for the importance of creating authentic learning experiences through an environment conducive for active participation. Course facilitators are responsible for the creation of the atmosphere within the course, regardless whether the course is purchased or developed. To ensure participants are actively engaging in the activities, instructors must develop guidelines and expectations for responses. An ideal method would involve the instructor creating the first post for an asynchronous activity. The instructor models the behavior and sets the standard for what is expected from the learner. The push for active participation can be directly correlated to student success in an online course (Dixson, 2010).

Although instructors are to create the environment for collaborative activities, it is the students’ responsibility to actively participate. Ideally, students take various courses for the purpose of learning. Learning is facilitated through collaborative activities. Logically, if all students actively participate, learning will occur. In reality, students do not always take courses to learn. Many courses are required for a certificate or diploma and many students will do the minimum possible to achieve a passing grade. For these students, guidelines and expectations are required to ensure all students are, at the very least, given the opportunity to build upon their own body of knowledge.

Communication can also pose a potential problem with collaborative activities. Instructors must communicate with students, students must communicate with instructors and students must communicate with each other. The instructor’s responsibility is to set up the environment and ensure clarity and functionality for communicating. If the facilitator will be utilizing a discussion board as a medium for communicating, throughout a collaborative activity, he or she must first make contact with students via e-mail or some other form of communication to relay procedures and expectations. Students must also feel comfortable asking questions if the directions are not clear. This will usually be through e-mail. Lastly, during the activity, students will be posting information to the discussion board and communicating their response through replies to the original posts. For group activities which require synchronous communication, students may need to be instructed on the proper use of software or cloudware programs. Skype is an excellent free method for students to communicate, but requires software be installed on the computer, whereas Google Docs, another free application, provides synchronous chat without the requirement of software being loaded on a computer. It has been noted that problems often arise when individuals are attempting to exchange multiple messages over a period of time (Mei-jung & Ka I, 2010). It is the process an instructor chooses to follow which will lead toward success or failure. Mei-jung and Ka I (2010) found that overcoming communication challenges in collaborative activities requires extra preparation and careful monitoring (p. 155).

The last area I have identified as a principal challenge when implementing collaborative activities is time management. Time management is a responsibility of both the instructor and the learner. If either does not follow a schedule frustration and anxiety begins to develop.

For instructors, research has indicated that online courses require significantly more time compared to traditional courses (Spector, 2005). Without time management related guidelines for instructors many students will build feelings of frustration and doubt. Instructors must be required to schedule their time accordingly and communicate with students of their time management criteria. For example, an instructor may respond to e-mails within 24 hours but only grade assignments once a week. If a student is aware of the time management practices, success is more likely evident. However, instructors must not overwhelm themselves with the feeling of needing to be at the computer 24/7.

Students bear more responsibility with regards to time management and completing assignments because their efforts will primarily lead them to success or failure. It has been noted that learners must be able to prioritize and manage their learning experience, including setting goals and establishing a specific plan throughout a course (Craig, Goold, Coldwell, & Mustard, 2008). As collaborative activities are completed, students must develop a responsibility for ensuring they are participating in a timely manner as well as communicating with group members and instructors on a regular basis. It takes a small commitment to fully invest oneself effectively in a collaborative activity.

In addition to the three identified problems, there are many other challenges when utilizing collaborative activities in the e-classroom. With each problem, also comes a solution. Instructors can increase participation through the use of engaging and relevant activities that create a sense of intrinsic motivation to productively contribute on an activity. Communication challenges can be overcome by setting guidelines and expectations for instructors and learners. Lastly, time management issues can be addressed through the development of recommended timelines for coursework completion and asynchronous activity communication. It is vital for content developers to realize the importance of overcoming the challenges with utilizing collaborative activities and create coursework that requires students to become vested in the course.

References Craig, A., Goold, A., Coldwell, J., & Mustard, J. (2008). Perceptions of Roles and Responsibilities in Online Learning: A Case Study. //Interdisciplinary Journal of Knowledge & Learning Objects//, 4205-223. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Dixson, M. D. (2010). Creating effective student engagement in online courses: What do students find engaging?. //Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning//, 10(2), 1-13. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Jarosewich, T., Lenhart, L., Krosnick, L., Vargo, L., Vance, K., Salzman, J., & Roskos, K. (2010). Say What? The Quality of Discussion Board Postings in Online Professional Development. //New Horizons in Education//, 58(3), 118-132. Retrieved from http://web.ebscohost.com.proxy1.ncu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?vid=3&hid=12&sid=2989dc86-8c8b-4e3b-8a59-24c98d98246c%40sessionmgr14. Mei-jung, W., & Ka I, I. (2010). Tasks and Challenges Faced by Teachers in Handling an Online Project. //Asian EFL Journal//, 12(4), 143-159. Retrieved from EBSCO//host//. Palloff, R.M., & Pratt, K. (2005). //Collaborating online//. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Spector, M. J. (2005). Time demands in online instruction. //Distance Education//, 26(1), 5-27. doi:10.1080/01587910500081251